Establishing the Townships

At its organization, Livingston County embraced the following townships: Green Oak, Hamburg, Hartland, Howell, Putnam and Unadilla. Of these townships Hartland is the only one whose boundaries have never changed. As you follow the timeline, several name changes will occur. By the time the Topographical Map of the Counties of Ingham and Livingston, Michigan was published in 1859, all 16 present day townships had been laid out, established, and carried the name of the present day township.

Township Formation Time Line

• March 17, 1835 Green Oak included present day Brighton township
• March 26, 1835 Hamburg included present day Genoa township
• March 26, 1835 Unadilla included present day Iosco township
• March 26, 1835 Present day Tyrone was attached to Highland (Oakland County) for judical purposes
• March 23, 1836 Putnam included present day Marion township
• March 23, 1836 Howell included present day Oceola, Deerfield, Cohoctah, Conway,and Handy townships,
• March 23, 1836 Hartland
• March 11, 1837 Marion from part of Putnam
• March 11, 1837 Byron
• March 11, 1837 Genoa from the north half of Hamburg
• March 20, 1837 Deerfield included present day Tyrone township
• March 6, 1838 Tyrone from Deerfield
• March 6, 1838 Handy
• March 6, 1838 Byron renamed Oceola
• March 6, 1838 Tuscola
• March 6, 1838 Iena
• April, 1838 Brighton
• March 20, 1841 Iena renamed Conway
• January 29, 1857 Tuscola renamed Bristol
• February 5, 1857 Bristol renamed Cohoctah

LIVINGSTON COUNTY TOWNSHIPS 1859